Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Gardening Workshops

Gardening Workshops introduce students to the hands-on excitement of growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Students learn the basics of good gardening with activities such as seasonally appropriate planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting. Lessons are brought to life as students indulge their senses and imagination with explorations of the herb collection, display gardens, and meadow.

Extend your students’ educational experiences with pre- and post-visit activities, which can be accessed online by clicking here.

How Does Your Garden Grow in Fall?
Fall is a busy time in the Family Garden. Harvest the last of the season’s vegetables, smell herbs, and dig for worms. Help prepare the garden for the upcoming winter by sowing cover crops, planting flowering bulbs, making compost, and raking leaves. Each student pots up a plant to take home.

How Does Your Garden Grow in Spring?
Spring has sprung in the Family Garden. Help get the garden off to a good start as we prepare the garden for planting by clearing winter debris and adding freshly sifted compost. Students plant radishes, scallions, or lettuce, and harvest and taste early crops like chives, spinach, and violas. Search for worms and discover other garden animals while exploring the meadow for spring flowering bulbs. Each student pots up a plant to take home.

How Does Your Garden Grow in Summer?
The Family Garden is in its full glory in the summer. Students water; sow seeds such as bush beans, carrots, or cucumbers; harvest and taste basil and cherry tomatoes; and dig for worms. Explore the meadow for visiting garden animals and discover the diversity of plants in the Global Gardens. Each student pots up a plant to take home.